The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-06-23
Battle Flags.

Quite commotion has been caused i'll
tie North, and especially mong the Union
soldiers, because of the recent order Ct the
President instructing Adjutant General
Drum to return to the Southern States.
which seeded from the Union, the
battle hags captured by the Union army,
and now on deposit in Washington city,
for safe keeping. The correspondent from
Washington OF the Alexandria Gazette,
of the 10th, says of the feeling III that
city:
ffhe chief topic of interest here to day IS
the fuss the Presidents order for the re-
turn of the battle flags now III the war
Department to the States from whose sol
tiers they were captured during the war
has kicked up in the North. AT one
O'Clock to day eX. Secretary bouGweil; as
counsel for the Governor OF ONO, applied
to the Supreme Court OF the District OF
Columbia for a writ OF mandamus COM
polling the Secretary OF War TO show cause
why he shall not be estopped from surren-
dering goyernme property unless autilor
lied to do so by act of Congress. southern
people here say it makes no difference TO
them or to their States whether anybody
shall oppose Nh Boutwell, or not. that no
Southern State asked for the return OF the
flags. and that none OF them will suffer IL
they be not returned. They do, however,
express some curiosity to know what the
President is going 10 do about it. Not
only the members of the Il, A. H., but all
the Mother republicans here. with hard
" an exception, sustain the action OF Mr.
Boutwell,. Senator Henderson going SO far
as to saythat the action of the PRESIDENT
is like, returning to II burglar, after he was
pardoned, the tools he bad when arrested.
The, Governors of Ohio and, Iowa have
instructed that legal action be taken to
procure an injunction to arrest the order
of the President, as it Is without author
ity of Congress. where supreme control
rests of the trophies of the late war. Gen.
Ftischii.s~,- IN yne Grand Army of the Re.
-, VINO perf@meG such kindly Offices
tsr nm neopIe d ,sssat b GaraliLazA WHO sui
fs,sa from The Earthquake disaster. salt
ia \ So, y, ork, last week; May Goo pais.
| the hand that wrote the order. May Coo
palsy The brain that conceived it, and ma
Godpalsy thesbrain that dictated IT," N
Southern State had anything to do wit
suegestiugthe order ,orapproving the pole
it involved So far as known ltSeems ina
the President is entirely responsible 10
it. Occurring at this time when plans an
combinations arebelng eonsideredand init
ences invoked to affect the deter minatio
Of the National Convention OF The Demo
cratic party next year, 1T is not strainin
too much to conclude that there was II
fitical motive in the order. The l'residen
however. we think, misu4derstandS th
ppople of the South. They are not niue
CONCERNED about the flags. They were Il
ken from the Southern armies iN honor
bic and fair conflict, and the flags carry Ii
sense Of humiliation with taem, whethe
theyete deposited in Washington or at I'll
capital of the respective Southern States
The Southern soldiers did their duty q
they understood it, and did it well, as tn
brave soldiers of the North have often an
over testified They can be affected nelii
erene way or the other, by the ord r, an
do not care whether it is carried out
> not. The only common sense lnterpreta
e ton TO the order is that it was given &c
a political purpose and designed TO mani
factufe an eXtrayagant sentiment Of ad
miration for the President in the soutl
, II will not have that effect. The soutl
ern people are not fools, nor are they d'
? pendent upon such superservlcseable actlo
of even the President Of the United State
to hold the respect and admiration OF In
world won in the bloody conflicts OF Wa'
Their reputation will take care OF itsel
They are just now more interested IN III
development of their material resources
: the exposure and utilization OF the'
nartlrAl wealth, and do not care to nav
, sectional feeling revived and the ilere
passions of the war re kindled. The Pres
dent has not only made a mistake but l.
; nsns mjsindged the Southern people an
~ hat cont rol hnn.